This was a fun one to do. This is a horizontal pole panorama taken from the 30th floor (mid way up the East Tower) of the Cosmopolitan Hotel/Resort in Las Vegas on Christmas Day. The winds were cold and moderate so a little swaying was going on (hence the terrible stitch lines). My only regret was that the Bellagio fountains weren't operating at the time.
We were also given 2 nights free accommodations for a future attempt on higher up floors compliments of the Cosmopolitan Vegas.
Always keep the PR resident manager in the loop on shoots. :th_jtteglad:

As usual lots of room for improvement needed and still learning the proper workflow when doing horizontal panoramas. The workflow is quite different from standard pole panoramas.
This was done using D700, Nikkor 10.5mm lens, R1 Ring Clamp pano head and 30ft carbon fiber pole. I had about a 15-20ft extension. This was not a Fanotec carbon fiber pole.
I must add doing horizontal panoramas like this is not for the faint-hearted. Kids do not try this at home.

ps - find my name

Vincèn

01-22-2011, 07:36 AM

very nice :clap: impressed how you have been able to hide you on pano :biggrin: and didn't know Bill Bailey was doing some events at Cosmopolitan :blush:

141

Vincèn

Seacat

01-22-2011, 08:38 AM

Hi Bill,

Nice work this panorama!

Johan

Bill Bailey

01-22-2011, 08:40 AM

very nice :clap: impressed how you have been able to hide you on pano :biggrin: and didn't know Bill Bailey was doing some events at Cosmopolitan :blush:

141

Vincèn
When in Vegas you learn "magic" :th_wink:
Good find - most never catch it

Bill Bailey

01-22-2011, 08:41 AM

Hi Bill,

Nice work this panorama!

Johan

Even though far from perfect - much appreciated!

Bill Bailey

01-22-2011, 08:57 AM

very nice :clap: impressed how you have been able to hide you on pano :biggrin: and didn't know Bill Bailey was doing some events at Cosmopolitan :blush:
141

Can't find my name in other pano?

Vincèn

01-22-2011, 10:14 AM

Can't find my name in other pano?
that one ? :biggrin:
143

Vincèn

hindenhaag

01-22-2011, 10:38 AM

Hi Bill,

well done, your heart must rock solid.... Like Vincen I found your name below the balloon of the Paris.

I heard it would be helpful as well to own a map with a lot of business cards with "President" or "Vize-President" on it.

Regards,
Heinz

softgad

01-25-2011, 09:13 AM

Inspiring work, any picture of you and your set up you can share?

Cheers

Bill Bailey

01-25-2011, 09:48 AM

Hi Bill,
well done, your heart must rock solid.... Like Vincen I found your name below the balloon of the Paris.
thx Heinz - one guy thought the Cosomopolitan actually did post notice on the billboard.
Bill

Bill Bailey

01-25-2011, 10:04 AM

Inspiring work, any picture of you and your set up you can share?
Cheers
Hi softgad,
You really don't see a lot of photographers taking photo's of themselves doing work. I was basically doing this alone and the balcony area to work inside of also small. When using a 30ft pole you also have the challenge of fitting everything into the viewfinder.
That said I would like to do some videos showing basic setup of Fanotec Poles. It's important to remember horizontal panoramas really are "not" recommended and you run extreme risk of pole breakage and liability issues if you dropped the rig on someones head - not good at places like the Cosmopolitan Vegas. These horizontal pole panoramas required careful planning and was rehearsal to followup shoot. When starting out with pole photography start with the smaller poles like the Fanotec Poles series 1 (9ft), develop a good secure work-flow being mindful of over head obstacles (carbon fiber is excellent conductor of electricity).

Bill

hindenhaag

01-26-2011, 07:09 PM

BTW Bill,

I suppose this would help a lot, even if it is a small screen as reviews tell us.

Same branch of remote control which was added with the first pole deliveries. May be Nick knows something more.

I feel it might be helpful for Pole Panos as well. Not available at NL dealers right now.

Combined with the acoustic leveller Eric Leeman NL has presented in his Photokina news - sorry no link but I am sure somebody else has it for us - this might help to get an easier workflow on this heart attacking 35th floor panoramas.

http://www.erikleeman.com/

To reduce the risk when something happens and brakes, it might be helpful to add an extra "secure line" to the camera connecting to the strap connection. In case of braking, the camera might crash on the 35th wall of the hotel instead of someones head. And I heard that there are 2500 advocates in one square kilometer in California to wait for a case.

Cheers,
Heinz

Vincèn

01-26-2011, 11:21 PM

Wireless as well. http://www.aputure.com/en/product/gigitube_wireless_digital_viewfinder.php
Hum looks like you guess what I'm adding in my store right now :) Avalaible in my online store and from stock in next few days :D I'll offer them at good price with Fanotec poles as it's definitively a very good accessory for it !

badders

01-27-2011, 02:29 AM

Or what about this!: http://www.360tacticalvr.com/accessories/remotes/inspire-nikon.html

Vincèn

01-27-2011, 03:40 AM

Or what about this!: http://www.360tacticalvr.com/accessories/remotes/inspire-nikon.html
looks very similar :clap:

hindenhaag

01-27-2011, 11:59 PM

May be you might add this as well:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erik-nl/5015161594/

Heinz

Vincèn

01-28-2011, 12:10 AM

May be you might add this as well:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erik-nl/5015161594/
Not a good idea in fact ! these electronic levels are too sensitive and lot of customers are already afraid with bubble level as soon as bubble is no more exactly in the middle, so forget it with an electronic one :biggrin:
Thanks anyway for suggestion :001_smile:

hindenhaag

01-28-2011, 12:23 AM

Thx for info, helpful hint.

Heinz

Bill Bailey

01-28-2011, 08:01 AM

BTW Bill,

I suppose this would help a lot, even if it is a small screen as reviews tell us.

Same branch of remote control which was added with the first pole deliveries. May be Nick knows something more.

I feel it might be helpful for Pole Panos as well. Not available at NL dealers right now.

Combined with the acoustic leveller Eric Leeman NL has presented in his Photokina news - sorry no link but I am sure somebody else has it for us - this might help to get an easier workflow on this heart attacking 35th floor panoramas.

http://www.erikleeman.com/

To reduce the risk when something happens and brakes, it might be helpful to add an extra "secure line" to the camera connecting to the strap connection. In case of braking, the camera might crash on the 35th wall of the hotel instead of someones head. And I heard that there are 2500 advocates in one square kilometer in California to wait for a case.

Cheers,
Heinz

Yes a secure line should be part of standard setup for horizontal panos. I would use small nylon rope for its stretch and give.
Also have both Gigatubes - wired and wireless. Very handy but not necessary in this case and shooting at 90 degree rotations. Plus going this far out, with winds, stablizing poles is very difficult.

I'm not happy with Gigatubes - both the wired and wireless are very fiddly and more often fail than work. The video cuts in and out on both - seems to be an issue with the male portion of the video cable. Tried on Nikon D300 + D700.

Bill Bailey

01-28-2011, 08:12 AM

May be you might add this as well:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/erik-nl/5015161594/

Heinz

Gee Heinz - you come across some interesting links at times. I have found when doing horizontal pole panoramas a level is not needed. Plus keeping the gear at the end of the pole as light as possible is also ideal making the R1 work like a dream :-)

gravityimage

05-09-2011, 12:15 PM

Hi Bill, I have the NNR-1, Nikon D7000, Sigma 8mm, and a 14' pole,and have been practicing horizontals, but I am not getting results I am happy with. I am setting the R-1 at -10* and shooting 4 around, then moving to one side and shooting 4 more around. (vertical rotation on all). I am then masking (PTGui pro)
myself out. I am getting lots of stitch lines. Should I be changing the angle of the R-1 for some of the shots?
Bill

Bill Bailey

05-09-2011, 12:34 PM

Hi Bill, I have the NNR-1, Nikon D7000, Sigma 8mm, and a 14' pole,and have been practicing horizontals, but I am not getting results I am happy with. I am setting the R-1 at -10* and shooting 4 around, then moving to one side and shooting 4 more around. (vertical rotation on all). I am then masking (PTGui pro)
myself out. I am getting lots of stitch lines. Should I be changing the angle of the R-1 for some of the shots?
Bill

First I need to add disclaimer the Fanotec poles have not been stress tested for doing horizontal poles panoramas and as such we cannot recommend or suggest you try this. The equipment I used was not Fanotec but allowed me to test the strength of a carbon fiber pole. And then you need to account for pole bending and movement. That said the workflow for doing horizontal pole panoramas is really no different that doing regular vertical pole panoramas. For your equipment I would suggest doing 4 around with -15 degree tilt down plus one up.

Bill

gravityimage

05-09-2011, 04:12 PM

I have a very sturdy fiberglas painters pole that I installed a 3/8" thread in the end of. When yo say "one up" do you mean away from the pole and myself?

Bill Bailey

05-10-2011, 11:25 AM

I have a very sturdy fiberglas painters pole that I installed a 3/8" thread in the end of. When yo say "one up" do you mean away from the pole and myself?

yes - same as vertical but with pole in horizontal position. This is "my" workflow and may vary from others.